The Demon Within
by Taiora Freak
Summary: Summary: Nightmares plague her mind. Every night, every time she closes her eyes, letting sleep drag her into unconsciousness, she feels hands, hands cold as ice, grabbing her, pulling her into the unkown. Full summary inside! Inuyasha/Kagome Sango/miroku
1. Preface

**A/n: **This is my first Inuyasha story so be nice! I'm not sure how long this story will be but I know that it's going to be pretty long. I have already written the first six chapters so for now I have chosen to update every Monday until all the written chapters are out. After all the written chapters are out it's going to take some time before the next update because of school and because I am a slow writer and ideas don't come to me every day. So please be patient, and if you don't mind, please leave a review when you're finished – I really appreciate it. Long, short, compliments and critics are all very welcome but no flames! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its awesome characters. I'm just barrowing them for a while. The day I do Kikyo will be long gone!

I want to thank IYlover4ever for being the awesomest beta ever! You rock!

Summary: Nightmares plague her mind. Every night, every time she closes her eyes, letting sleep drag her into unconsciousness, she feels hands, hands cold as ice, grabbing her, a secret of a dark forest lying hidden out in the open, once a paradise of beauty, now hosting an evil without restrains.

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The Demon Within

Preface

_Something was wrong, she could feel it. By the time those brown eyes cracked open, she knew that this was not her home, or a place she would remain by will. She sat up slowly, and big orbs widen automatically._

"_A forest…" A voice in her mind whispered. "A dark forest filled with evil."_

_She slowly pushed herself to her feet, feeling the hard uneven ground beneath her bare feet. _

"_It's so dark, I can't see a thing!"_

_She carefully stretched her arms out in front of her as she slowly began walking._

"_Silence," The strange voice echoed in her mind, "There is only silence in a dead man's grave."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_A noise from behind made her spin around, heart pounding in her chest. _

_Nothing._

_There was nothing there. She turned around again, walking slowly deeper into the darkness._

"_It's near,"_

"_What is near?" _

"_Who are you?"_

_No answer, just silence, all around her. _

_A cold touch made her gasp with fright. _

_A hand grabbed her wrist, making her heart pound harder against her ribcage. _

_A scream left her mouth as cold hands grabbed her legs. _

_She tried to fight, but it was useless. Their hold tightened as they began dragging her deeper into the forest._

"_Let me go!" She screamed to no avail._

_Laughter._

_Evil laughter echoed throughout the forest, sending shivers up and down her spine. And then she was thrown to the ground, a hand grabbing her throat, squeezing tightly. _

_She gasped for air, clutching the white hand; trying to fight it off with all her strength._

Screaming, Kagome Higurashi bolted upright in her bed, encased in a veil of sweat. With a trembling hand she brushed the sweat away from her forehead.

_A dream. It was all a bad dream, a nightmare. _She reassured herself, glad that she hadn't awoken the rest of her family.

_It is the third night in a row I have had these dreams. It's always the same, waking up in the forest, dragged by cold hands before choked to death._ A shiver went down her spine as she relived the nightmare. She shook her head to clear the dark thoughts before grabbing her towel, ready to take a warm shower.

The warm water ran down her slim physique, relaxing her tense muscles. She leaned against the shower wall before slowly sliding down. Warm water hit her face as she looked up. Tiredness was evident in her brown eyes as she let them slid close, the warm water lulling her to into a dreamless slumber.

She awoke an hour later, shivering lightly. The warm water that ran down her skin had run cold, making her shiver. She stood up, turned the water off before wrapping a soft towel around her frigid body.

_Nicely done Kagome, what would Inuyasha say if he saw you this scared now?_

_Inuyasha!_

_Oh god! He's going to be so mad! I promised to be back yesterday!_

She dressed in a hurry and ran downstairs where her mother was making breakfast. She gave her mother a peck on the cheek before packing her bag-pack full of her mother's food as well as medical supplies and ramen. She grabbed the heavy bag and ran out the door yelling goodbye as she opened the door to the shrine. As she was engulfed in the familiar blue light, she heard her mother's kind voice telling her to be safe.

A smile spread across her face as she was transported through time, to the Feudal Era.


	2. Chapter 1: The Return

**A/n: **Here's the first chapter for those who are interested. I hope you all like it and I promise to update next Monday or possibly even sooner. Please tell me what you think - if the characters are out of character or if there is miss spelling, what I can do better and that sort of thing and also if you want me to continue this story. Enjoy and R&R!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha or the characters, I'm just barrowing them for a while, but I do own this plot!

And I would like to take up a little space to thank the awesome IYlover4ever for sorting out the mess I gave her and helping me with this chapter! You are my fanfiction savior!

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Chapter One: The Return

_Why hasn't she returned yet? _The half-dog demon sat at the edge of the Bone Eater's well, tapping his claws impatiently on its wooden surface. He peered downward into the darkness, hoping for a glimpse of her raven black hair or her soft brown eyes staring upward, at him, as she ascended to the feudal era. But no one was there, only murky nothingness.

Inuyasha snorted out loud when the image of their last argument a few days ago played across his mind. He could still feel the throbbing in his back by all those sit-commands she yelled at him. At the thought, he jumped down from the brim of the well and kicked the dirt directly at the barren source in a canine matter before slumbering down beside it. Growling impatiently, his head rested on the side of the well while amber eyes gloomily glanced upward at the clear blue sky.

His senses were picking up the low whistles of the little birds and the smell of a deer eating somewhere deep in the green forest. He had a firm hold on Tetsusaiga's sheath as his ears twitched by the sound of footsteps and whispering voices coming from the path a few meters away. He relaxed his tense muscle when the scent of his friends filled his nostrils.

He gave a low sigh and rose from the ground; Inuyasha stretched and jumped a few meters away from the obscure hole that transported him 500 years into the future. Never would he give those snoopers the pleasure of catching him neighboring the well, nevertheless seeing him fetch the angry girl on the other side.

He landed a couple of minutes later at his favorite spot by the Goshinboku, The Sacred Tree. He sat down on the branch and closed his eyes, listening to the twittering birds and the calming noises of the wind rustling the leaves on the huge green trees surround the God Tree. A few moments later he was fast asleep, his hand never leaving Tetsusaiga, and ears twitching subconsciously to every other direction.

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes when a particular scent caught his nose. He knew that scent anywhere. He quickly got up from his well-used spot, and gracefully jumped down before running towards the direction of The Bone Eater's well with sudden urgency.

The patch of clear blue sky above her signaled that she once more had successfully crossed over into the Feudal Era, and with a grin on her face she pushed back her thick bangs as sweat began to form due to the heat of being enclosed in the well, Kagome proceeded to make her slow excursion up the well.

The sun shone down brightly on her as she swung herself over the ledge and onto the soft grass below, stretching out for a brief moment to regain her breath. All around her, nature carried on with its usual routine, bird trill filled the air and the vividly green leaves swayed in the barely existent breeze.

_The perfect spring day, and I can't enjoy it_… Kagome sighed, knowing that once she reached the village they would be off searching for the remaining jewel shards.

They had managed to find half of the Shikon Jewel on their journey, fighting against all kinds of demons. Sometimes they barely got away with their lives still intact. She had befriended many people as well as demons of the Feudal Era. A young Kitsune named Shippo was accompanying her as well as the perverted monk Miroku, a demon slayer named Sango and her demon cat Kirara, Myoga the flee demon who appeared from time to time but ran away at any sign of danger, and of course Inuyasha, the half-dog demon.

A smiled played across her feminine features at the thought of the short tempered hanyou. She knew he would never apologize for starting their little argument when he tried to stop her from crossing over to her time. She knew they needed to find all the shards of the Jewel before Naraku, the evil demon who enjoyed watching people suffer and families fight another, would take them under his possession.

But she also had to think about her normal life, her life back in modern Japan. Her schoolwork was abundantly high, books building up on her desk, waiting for her to begin the everlasting torment. She was beginning to fall behind with her studies and Inuyasha's temper didn't seem to help one bit.

The young girl sighed in frustration, the smile vanished at the thought of the little homework she had managed to do. The math was the biggest problem. To the Feudal Era, she had brought along math as well as chemistry books in hopes of getting something done.

Another sigh escaped her lips as she began the same trip to Kaede's village. She lifted her heavy bag-pack onto her shoulders and gave the blue sky another small smile, feeling the warm sunrays against her cheeks. She began following the little path towards the village, the forest sound calming her, and the fresh air filling her nostrils. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the beautiful day as she strolled leisurely down the path.

A figure loomed above her, casting a shadow over her silhouette. Sensing the lack of warmth, Kagome opened her eyes and let out a squeak of surprise, almost jumping out of her skin.

"Inuyasha!" she scolded as she recognized the surly hanyou before her, "Don't do that!"

Inuyasha gave a loud "feh" and began walking, knowing that Kagome was following behind him in a gradual stride. He slowed his pace so he was beside her and lifted the yellow bag-pack of her tiny shoulders. Surprise was evident on Kagome's face as she looked up at him with huge brown eyes. He took the bag-pack and began walking without a word, a blush settling on his face.

_What's wrong with him?_ She thought to herself but followed the hanyou nonetheless, not bothering to question his motives.

The sun was getting ready to set, dressing the sky with a dimmed yellow light. The clouds were already turning violet by the time the two teenagers made it back to the little village. Kagome lifted the bamboo door away from the entrance to the old priestess Kaede's hut and stepped in followed by Inuyasha.

"Welcome back Kagome." Kaede greeted from her spot beside the fire. "Dinner's ready."

Kagome looked around seeing that neither Sango nor Miroku were present. Kaede saw her wondering gaze.

"If ye are wondering where the monk and the demon slayer are child, they went to get Shippo and Kirara." The older priestess told them. "They will be back soon." Kagome nodded and sat down beside Kaede, happily taking the warm bowl with soup into her hands.

Inuyasha slumbered down beside her to gaze at the way she enjoyed her meal, secretly loving how she savored the steamy broth like the finest of sakes, before gulping down a bowl of his own. It never took much to make Kagome cheery or please her appetite, she was utterly simple and he liked that a lot.

But the older woman in front of them never missed the way Inuyasha gazed with obvious interest at the lovely young girl, or the way she shifted closer to his frame, relishing in his presence like no one else's.

They were soon accompanied by Miroku, Sango, Kirara and a talkative Shippo; who at the sight of the raven haired girl, ran into her welcoming arms.

"Kagome, you're back!"

She had to giggle at the little kitsune's sudden happiness. She placed him on her lap and gave him a bowl of homemade stew.

"Welcome back, lady Kagome." Miroku greeted, "It's nice to have you back. Inuyasha was grumpy the whole time." He acknowledged with great fondness.

Inuyasha sent the monk an evil glare, "I was not!"

"You know, he never is the same Inuyasha when you aren't around." Sango interrupted, a finger placed on her chin.

That finally ticked him off and with a loud "feh" he momentarily left the hut. He was annoyed with how they always teased him upon Kagome's arrival. The silence was soon broken by a fit of laughter from the remaining people in the little hut.

The sunlight disappeared slowly and the purple sky above slowly turned black. Inuyasha had finally joined them again and they sat in silence like everyone else, except for Shippo, who was telling Kagome about his day with the village children. Miroku longingly glimpsed at Sango from the corner of his eyes, who was entertained with her cat demon in a corner, as he quietly practiced some incantations with his sacred scrolls.

The half moon replaced the warming sun, engulfing the abundant nature with a shining silver glow. A small fox was sniffing around the humble abode when a loud smack was heard originating from Kaede's hut, followed by the word "pervert" shortly thereafter. Its ears twitched and the fox quickly ran into the dark forest, followed by an angry demon slayer that angrily walked out.

Sango gave a loud sigh of frustration as she wandered down the bank of the little river that bathed in the silver light. She sat down on the soft grass beside the riverbed with her knees pressed against her chest. Her slender fingers carefully played with the cold water when a muffled noise of footsteps caught her trained ears.

"I'm not in the mood Miroku." She warned.

No answer.

She looked around as the sound of footsteps seized only to be replaced by a gentle purr and the soft feel of fur against her leg. She looked down and saw Kirara by her feet before petting the feline tenderly.

Back in the hut the silence was so tense you probably could cut it with a plastic knife. All eyes were set on one specific monk. Miroku shifted uncomfortably were he sat by the warming fire, feeling all the glares on him. After a couple of minutes that were plagued by the silent treatment and continuous evil glares, he rose from his seat sighing, and pronounced that he was going out for a while.

Kaede chuckled lightly as she readied herself for bed. She bid Kagome and Inuyasha goodnight and retired to her sleeping mat.


	3. Chapter 2: Darkly Nightmares

**A/N: **Here's the second chapter! Hope you all enjoy and please leave a little review on your way out, it really makes me happy! Just one little word is enough for this author! So like some authors say, R&R!

**Disclaimer: **Honestly, we all know I don't own Inuyasha...

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Chapter Two: Darkly Nightmares

The silence settled in the little hut. Kagome yawned slowly as she took out a blanket and the chemistry book from her bag. She laid down on the hard surface meanwhile dragging the blanket over her slim form, before joined by Shippo, who quickly fell asleep snuggling at her side. She sent the little kitsune a warm smile before grabbing the chemistry book, and turning to the page about Carbon Chemistry. She let another yawn escape her lips as she turned the page.

The book was suddenly snapped out of her fingers by Inuyasha and a surprised yelp escaped her lips.

"Go to sleep wench, I don't want to carry you around all day." Inuyasha stated as he shut the book and placed it back in the bag-pack.

"But I can't! I've got a test to study for!" The girl protested.

Inuyasha snorted before leaving the hut. Kagome sighed in defeat before allowing her eyes to finally close; sleep soon dragged her into unconsciousness.

_There was a presence standing over her. She could feel it. Its breath rolled over her neck in hot waves. _

_She cracked her eyes open. _

_Nothing._

_She saw nothing but empty space. She pushed herself onto her feet. Her heart skipped a beat as she suddenly was standing in a forest covered in a black curtain. She saw the shadows of huge trees, their branches black as ink. _

_A warm breath on her neck made her turn around._

_Nothing._

"_Is anyone out here?"_

_No answer_

"_Inuyasha, if this is a joke—it's not funny."_

_Laughter._

_Nothing but an evil, hollow laughter._

_Her heart beat faster and faster as the laughter grew louder. She looked around, frightened._

_The laughter continued from all directions, closing in on her._

_She began to run, as fast as her legs could carry her. _

_However, something caught her leg, making her lose her balance and stumble to the ground. Eyes shut; she stretched her arms out in front of her for protection against the incoming hard ground. A shooting pain went through her as she collided with the hard forest floor. _

_Another breath against her neck made her eyes snap open. She tried to push herself up to no avail. Something was pressing against her chest, holding her down. She tried to fight of the invisible force when something touched her bare legs. She gasped for air as cold, clammy hands grabbed her wrist. _

Her eyes snapped open. She couldn't bring herself to move. Her body was paralyzed by the fear. It was truly overwhelming. Blinked rapidly, to keep the tears at bay, she brushed the sweat away from her forehead. She just wanted to cry but at the same time she felt she could not. All the while, she could feel her body tremble underneath the blanket.

Kagome sat up, breathing rapid and labored. However, Shippo had curled himself in a ball beside her, but remained unaware of anything outside his world of contentment. She noticed Miroku and Sango were also sleeping soundly, except Sango lay as far away from the monk as she could manage.

Pushing herself to her feet she made her way to the door. She parted the bamboo entrance and peeked outside. She glanced around, and seeing no trace of Inuyasha, Kagome quickly ran for the river to find some peace of mind. Once she knelt beside the riverbed and splashed water on her face, she proceeded to drinking desperate handfuls of fresh water. The cold substance felt pleasant on her damp skin.

She brushed the remaining water droplets of her face with the palm of her hand and began slowly making her way back to the hut, careful not to wake anyone, but more worried about meeting Inuyasha.

What should she tell him if he had seen her? _It's not like I can tell him about it_. She knew Inuyasha too well to even consider it. He would most likely go and get himself killed if he knew. She shuddered at the image of seeing Inuyasha's dead body. She shook her head to get rid of the dark thoughts. _It was only a nightmare. Pull yourself together girl. You don't want Inuyasha to see you like this, proving him wrong in thinking that you are a helpless human, now would you?_

She reached the hut just as the very hint of dawn was beginning to creep across the sky. She breathed out in relief when she saw Inuyasha was not there. He was probably sleeping on his favorite branch of the God Tree. She sent the pinkish sky a thankful look before stepping into the dark hut. It was only a couple of hours to sunrise so she didn't need to go back to bed. After all, no sleep meant: no more nightmares.

She grabbed her blanket and walked quietly out of the hut once more. It was too stuffy and dark to be in there so instead she sat down by the side of the hut, watching as the sun steadily claimed the sky again. She couldn't stop her eyelids from closing and soon she was dragged into unconsciousness, the sun's warm rays shining on her sleeping face.

_She was alone, standing in the dark forest. A forest she had never seen before. This forest was so different than Inuyasha's forest. However, something was out here, hiding among the ink colored trees. There were no twittering birds or eating animals. The trees once green glorious branches were as dark as the night sky. The atmosphere surrounding her was eerie and frightening. _

_Kagome shivered as the cold breeze made contact with her skin. She pressed her arms around herself to keep the little warmth she had left as she walked slowly through the forest, trying to find a way out of this dark place. But it was without luck. It felt more like she walked for hours without stop. _

_She called for Inuyasha but received no answer. _

_The wind was blowing more violently and was getting colder by the minute. She did her best to protect herself from the gust of cold air but the numbness in her arms didn't better the conditions. _

_The more she walked in the dark forest the darker and scarier it became. And the wind kept getting stronger and the dreadful anticipation began to build at the pit of her stomach. At some point, when the draught collided with her exposed skin she swore that she could hear laughter, an evil hilarity full of amusement. _

_But she had heard this laughter before and thinking about the latest encounter with this inhuman entity made her push her legs faster. She couldn't stay here. It was too dangerous. She had to find Inuyasha! She could hear the laughter blowing with the wind, finding her wherever she ran, following her with the wind._

_Kagome could feel its cold touch on her legs. It felt more like a firm grip. She looked down only to see her own legs running like crazy through a forest she never had been in before nor seen. She could feel the wind almost as if someone was the wind itself, touching her, grabbing after her, trying to catch her with every gust. She thrust her legs further along the small path, feeling the sharp branches cut through her flesh like knives._

_Her breath caught in her throat as she felt something grab her wrist. She was spun around by brute force but when she opened her tightly shut eyes she saw nothing. Only trees took shape through her blurry vision. She blinked a few times and took her wrist into her hand, trying to brush the aching away and when she looked at it her heart skipped a beat. A purple handprint was taking form on her fine skin. The color drained from her face in seconds as a scream escaped her lips. She spun on her heels and began running through the eerie black forest. _

_It didn't take long until another gust of icy wind blew through the forest, hunting her down. Kagome pushed her legs faster but it caught up to her in seconds. Hands were grabbing for her. They caught her left leg and she fell to the ground. She choked a scream as she met the ground with a loud thud but forced herself up on two legs and began running. It didn't take long before something caught her wrist and threw her hard against a tree trunk. She yelped as her back made impact with the hard tree._

_Her eyes flew upon when she felt two icy hands around her throat. She tried to scream but the sound never left her lips. It was hard to breath and a few tears escaped her eyes. She could hear the evil laughter ringing throughout the forest, causing her eyes to shut tighter as the invisible hold on her throat tightened. _

Kagome bolted upright breathing hard. Both hands reached for her throat and she breathed out in relief. She brushed the sweat away from her face with a trembling hand before standing up. She looked down on her legs, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. There was no cuts, no bruises, nothing. Another relief filled breath left her lips and she stretched her sore muscles carefully.

She picked up the blanket and walked into the hut where her friends were still sleeping. She left the blanket by the door as she went over to her bag pack and picked up her chemistry book before leaving the hut, heading for the little river for some distraction.

She sat down in the soft green grass sending the forest of Inuyasha a quick glance before picking up where she left of yesterday. She was so caught up in her studying that she didn't hear the faint footsteps approaching.

"Hey Kagome." A voice said directly behind her. She screamed and spun around on her heels backing away.

"What's gotten you so jumpy?" Inuyasha yelled rubbing his throbbing ears.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

"Who said I was sneaking? I called your name twice before you even reacted and then you screamed at me!"

"You're exaggerating!" She grabbed her book and began to walk off towards the woods.

"I am n—!" Inuyasha sniffed the air again. The smell of fear was even stronger now.

"You're scared." He said quietly.

Kagome tensed. He could tell that? He was staring into her eyes, searching them for something. "What's wrong Kagome?" He asked her.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." She insisted, feeling slightly guilty over the fact that she was strictly lying to her . . . friend? He stared at her, his face only a few inches from hers. She leaned back to give them a few more inches of space. There were a few long moments of torturing silence.

Kagome slowly broke his gaze and continued towards Kaede's village with Inuyasha following a couple of meters behind. She could practically feel his gaze on her back the whole way. She stopped when Kaede's hut was in sight and turned around.

"Inuyasha why can't you drop it?" Kagome asked frustration evident in her voice.

Inuyasha knew Kagome was irritated but she wasn't getting out of this so easy. "Because you never drop it when I'm keeping a secret." He stated simply with a smug grin on his face.

"That's different…." Her voice trailed off as a gust of cold wind passed by them. Kagome froze, eyes widen in fear as her breath caught in her throat.

Inuyasha, who was ignorant to the change in Kagome, continued on with his plan on getting the secret she was keeping to herself. "In what way, are your methods of keeping secrets any different and more special than mine?"

No reply came and Inuyasha opened his eyes, the smug smile disappeared in a second. He was beside Kagome in a flash, taking her tiny shoulders in his hands.

"Kagome?" He whispered. She didn't respond, just kept on staring right through him, eyes wide in fright for something he did not know.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" He asked again without much luck. He could feel his heartbeat speed up as the girl before him just kept staring through him, like as if he were made of transparent glass. He shook her shoulders gently.

She jumped and refocused her attention back on the concerned man before her. "What? What is it?" She asked in panic, confusion written all over her face. She kept glancing around in desperation, noticeably frightened by something out of the ordinary.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, not caring if the sudden attention was out of his character, besides it was clearly that Kagome wasn't her usual self today. _Come to think of it she hasn't been herself since she left for her own time. _He dropped the thought, concentrating back on the shivering girl.

Kagome nodded, "It's nothing."

"It didn't seem like nothing. What's wrong with you?" He wanted answers and not excuses.

Kagome sighed in defeat, she could never truly escape the way those golden orbs proved her very soul, hypnotizing her with his stare. "I didn't get much sleep last night, that's why." She looked up at him in hope that he would not ask more incessant question.

"Why?"

Nope, Inuyasha was not the guy to take things lightly. "I had a bad dream."

"Care to elaborate?" Inuyasha knew she wasn't lying to him. He could practically see it. Her eyes were red and had noticeable bags under them. Her whole face showed signs of not getting proper sleep. In fact, it seemed like she hadn't slept in a long while. Kagome looked much older, plagued by preoccupation, than her usual carefree self.

"Drop it Inuyasha. I'm not in any mood to talk about it, and besides it was only a nightmare." She assured and continued towards Kaede's hut.

_It's not just a dream and you know it Kagome. It's taken its toll on you, I can see it already. But why won't you tell me?_

He snorted and followed Kagome into the hut where the others were getting ready to continue their journey in search for the shards of the Shikon Jewel.

"Good morning Kagome." Sango greeted while getting her Hiraikotsu.

Miroku looked up at them, "Oh lady Kagome, did you sleep well?"

Kagome nodded and went over to her bag-pack to get ready for the long day ahead.

_Why is she lying to them? She doesn't want them to worry, I'm sure of it! She wouldn't have told me either if I didn't force it out of her. Does she not trust me to help her? _

He walked out of the hut and jumped up on the roof of Kaede's hut, slumbering down while waiting for the others to finish packing. He was eager to continue their journey. He wanted nothing more but to kick some demon butt right about now, most of all Naraku's of course.

About ten minutes later Kagome, Sango and Miroku came outside followed by Shippo and Kirara, finally ready to get on with their travel.

Inuyasha jumped down from the roof to join them. "What took you so long?" He sent them a glare as he muttered about "weak humans" before walking off.

Kaede was stepping out of her hut to say goodbye to the teenagers just as they were about to leave. She waved after them before beginning on her daily chores.


	4. Chapter 3: Living Tale

**A/n: **Here's the third chapter of this little story, hope you all enjoy! And I will be very happy if you leave a little comment on your way out, one word or more, it's up to you! It's very easy to make me happy. :D Like some authors say, R&R!

I want to thank **IYlover4ever** for helping me with this chapter. You are awesome!

I also want to thank those who reviewed this story and I hope you all will enjoy this chapter as well.

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own Inuyasha or its characters but I do own this plot!

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Chapter Three: Living Tale

As the sunny day slowly turned into sunset they had managed to reach the village west of the great mountains, not too far from Kaede's village.

As they walked into the busy market the people that resided there retreated back into their houses, leaving the street deserted.

"Well, that was unexpected." Miroku broke the tense silence while rubbing the back of his head with his right arm.

Sango looked suspiciously around them, nothing.

Not a sound and not a human in sight.

It was certainly something odd about this village, she could sense it. "They're afraid." She stated after a little while of speculation. Something bothered her, why were they so scared? What had them so afraid? Her hard demon slayer training had taught her one thing about this kind of behavior.

"Something has happened to this village, something that has them afraid of visitors."

"Why do you say that?" Shippo asked, looking around curiously.

Miroku nodded, "Sango's right." He closed his eyes, letting his trained senses take control. When he opened them he met five pairs of curious eyes, all looking at him. "I can't tell what exactly but I do sense a strong demonic aura." Those words had the group sharing glances; it only meant trouble was foreseen.

Inuyasha's sniffed around as if instinct and his ears perked sideways like little antennas. "What's the matter Inuyasha?" He heard Kagome's gentle voice ask him but he did not reply. The smell of human blood was heavy in the air. Why hadn't he smelled it sooner?

A piercing scream broke the silence.

"What was _that_?" Kagome jumped and stared at the half-demon who looked anxious. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha immediately ran off in the direction of the cry, smelling his surrounding as he bolted towards the danger, all the while ignoring Kagome calling his name.

He stopped at the far end of the quite village. Blood was everywhere, and dead bodies were scattered in masses that covered the earth. He heard gasps from behind and turned around quickly. Kagome and the others had caught up to him and just stood paralyzed by the sight before them. He could see the brim of unshed tears appearing in Kagome's eyes and quickly looked away. He hated seeing her like that whenever they encountered a familiar scene.

She took a step forward still shocked. "Who? Who would have the audacity to do something so ghastly?" Kagome said weakly with her hands covering her mouth. She knelt beside a child covered in blood. She took one of the little girl's cold hands in hers and squeezed it carefully. Sango walked up behind her, a sad look on her face. She knelt beside Kagome and picked up the little girl's doll, lying only a few feet beside the little dead body.

"We have to bury them Inuyasha." Kagome said, still with the child's hand in hers. "We can't leave them like this."

Inuyasha nodded, deep inside he wanted no more than to gut the monster responsible for slaughtering these villagers, and rip the bastard, piece by piece. He approached over to Kagome and Sango and picked up the lifeless little girl.

Miroku mirrored Inuyasha and picked up a soulless young woman still holding onto her deceased child. He then scanned his surrounding; noticing a large spot of earth at the back of the village where they would ultimately carry all the dead villagers, and bury them in what would become their last resting place. The monk had to admit, there was something fishy going on. They did not often encounter village massacres without an explanation or no traces of the guilty suspect.

And just as they were turning around to get the rest of the slaughtered humans, an elderly man came walking up behind them. Inuyasha, the strongest of the group who stood tall like the leader of the pack, was in front of Kagome in a matter of seconds, not taking any chances.

The elderly man stopped and looked at each one of the members of their group. "Hello strangers." He greeted sadly. He sent one particular dead body of a woman a glance filled with sorrow before continuing, "I'm Syrus, lord of this little village. I see you witnessed the outcome of another one of the slaughters."

"Another one?" Kagome asked horrified. _Has there been more than one? What's going on?_ She automatically grabbed the red fire rat fabric, making Inuyasha feel as her trembling fingers caught onto his clothing for support.

The old man nodded, "Come with me, I'll tell you the unfortunate story of this village." He began walking the path into the deserted market.

"But what about the dead?" Sango asked hesitantly, looking at her shoulders to the countless slaughtered bodies lying in the middle of the road.

"Do not worry about them child, the others will bury them." The older man replied with his back to the group.

Miroku sent Inuyasha a suspicious look before joining the old man, remembering the terrified faces that had not been very welcoming upon their arrival. "The others?"

"Yes, of course. The remaining people of this village, those who were chosen to live."

This time Shippo stuttered as his eyes widen behind them. "_Ch-chosen_?"

"Enough with the secrecy old man," Inuyasha snapped. "I want some answers, what's going on in this village?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome warned, but not as strongly as usual. The shock was still in her system.

"I have to agree with Inuyasha on this one." Miroku said seriously. "We need to know the reason why those people were slaughtered."

Sango only nodded, this brought out some painful memories. _It almost looks like the slaughter of my village._ She hugged Kirara tighter to her chest as the images of the destroyed village played across her mind. And in that second, she swore she would kill the demon behind this, even if it would cost her life.

The elderly man led them into a small hut, nothing fancy like the other villages they had visited before. He gestured to the open space by the burning fire, "Please, sit down."

Once they all were seated on the ground Syrus began his story of the Invisible Army's slaughters.

But before any graphic details were unleashed, Kagome sent Shippo into another room with Kirara since she knew this story would not be something for young children to hear. She smiled at him before shutting the door between them. She turned around and sat patiently waiting for the elder to continue his story.

"This village is surrounded by an enormous forest, a forest hiding a true beast." He took a deep breath before continuing, "It wasn't like this before. When we first came to this place sixty years ago, the forest was a beautiful place and we were thrilled to build a village here. We lived in peace and harmony for many years but one day it all changed." He looked around the room, meeting everyone's eyes except Inuyasha's. He stood by the door, eyes closed, listening to the old man's story.

"It was the day of darkness when the Invisible Army first entered our village. It began as any normal day in the village, really. People were doing their daily chores before the village was enveloped in a chilly fog and darkness overtook the sunny sky. It was like time stopped. The birds stopped twittering, the animals stopped eating and the sky was black as ink." Syrus shuddered at the memory that played on his mind, a memory no other could imagine. Inuyasha had opened his amber eyes and looked at the old man, waiting impatiently for him to continue.

"It took only seconds before the light returned and the chaos erupted. People were screaming and tears ran from everyone's faces. I hurried out of my house, only to be paralyzed by the scenery in front of me. Everyone I knew including my wife lay slaughtered on the ground, blood was everywhere and bodies lay across the village like a terrifying blanket of dead. The few survivors helped each other bury our loved ones but no one could figure out what had transpired just hours ago. We started to rebuild the village but we never forgot the incident that killed over half of the inhabitants.

"We thought we were safe from whoever had done this and we never thought that this incident could ever occur again.

"_We were wrong_. A year after everyone was killed, the sky went black again and only seconds after many people were slaughtered again. Panic erupted and many left the village. I was about to leave myself when the word came that everyone that had left was found dead just as they entered another village. I couldn't believe it; the thing that slaughtered so many had trapped us all in our own village like caged animals."

"So what is the source of this slaughtering?" Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently on the wooden floor as if it was a story he had heard before.

Kagome sent the half demon a glare, "Inuyasha, don't interrupt him." She returned her attention back to the old lord. And before Inuyasha could say anything disrespectful, she interrupted him by smiling kindly to the older man and saying, "Please go on." This earned a snort from the hanyou in return; clearly she felt like she could control him.

The old man nodded before continuing, "As I said before, we were trapped in the very own village we once built to shield ourselves from harm and to establish security. We didn't know the source behind this unforgettable act but the one thing we do know is that no human could ever do this kind of damage, nor would they have any reasons to go to such lengths.

"It happens every year on the day we call the _Dying's Cry_. We found out after five years and five slaughters, that the beautiful forest we once saw as a home to mankind was now harnessing the evilest of demons. After many years, the massive trees whose leaves once were an emerald green, turned blacker and blacker. At some point, we sent a number of men into the ancient forest to investigate the strange occurrences…but they never _returned_. A few days later, we sent a second rescue party to search for the missing men. However, those men went missing as well and since then no one has dared to set a single foot in these woods. We call the dark forest, _The Forest of the Living Dead_."

"Forest of the Living Dead?" Miroku asked curiously yet not alarmingly.

"Yes, it got its name not long after the tenth slaughter, we never thought that our fellow kinsman could ever return but we were wrong. It happened just like the year before and the year before that; first darkness comes and the world stops for a few seconds, then the light returns and chaos erupts. But during the blackness one of the sacrifices survived…"

"Sacrifices!" They all cried out at the same time.

"I knew you wouldn't understand. But you see we had to do something, so every year we choose a number of our people to be sacrificed to satisfy the living dead's hunger. We are afraid that everyone will die of we don't choose, and we are not strong enough to defeat them."

"But how can you do it, choosing someone! And if you didn't notice, there were children out there!" Sango exclaimed as her calm nature was set aflame by this whole ordeal.

"Believe me when I say we tried to sacrifice the eldest of the villagers' first but to no avail. They want the young, you see. They do not intend for the youthful to live, and instead prefer to feast in their strength. I'm so sorry." The man's eyes were no longer set on anyone but at the sizzling fire that he continued to poke with a stick.

Silence reigned inside the crowded hut; no one said anything, trying to comprehend the utter shock of this village's history. Miroku was the first to get his composure back on. "You were talking about a survivor..." He began nonchalantly, breaking the silence with his usual cool composure.

Syrus took another deep breath before opening his gray-blue eyes. "Yes, Carol. She was the only survivor of the tenth blood purge. When she recovered from the shook she told us the unbelievable, our dear ones that had fallen many years ago had awaken and were now attacking us once a year, killing innocent children as well as adults. We didn't believe her until we dug up the graves and saw nothing, no corps, no bones, only dirt. Since then we picked out those who were to be sacrificed and we have kept that tradition in many years, keeping the sacrifices outside while the others are inside. It's cruel I know, but it's the only thing we can do to survive."

"So it all started when the forest changed and the first slaughter took place sixty years ago?" Inuyasha questioned, while excitement consumed his tone of voice and thrill engulfed those golden eyes that shone in the fire's splendor.

Syrus looked up at him, eyes wide. "Yes, but what are you planning on doing?"

Inuyasha gripped Tetsusaiga tightly before looking down at the lord. "What else old man? We are going to slaughter these dead demons of yours."


	5. Chapter 4: A New Adventure

**A/n: **Sorry for the long delay. Here you go: Chapter four:

Be nice and review :D

* * *

Chapter Four: A New Adventure

"No, you can't, they will kill you just like everyone else."

Inuyasha snorted and left the hut. Kagome rose from the floor, apologized for Inuyasha's rude behavior before following the half demon outside. Sango excused herself shortly after so she could change into her demon slayer uniform. The only ones remaining in the room were Miroku and Syrus, who desperately tried to talk him out of it.

"You cannot go, it's too dangerous!"

"Don't worry, we have done this before and besides this could be the work of a demon named Naraku or someone with a shard of the Shikon Jewel."

"I see, but please be careful and I thank you of the behalf of this entire village." He bowed in respect of the young monk as Sango reentered in her demon slayer uniform, with Hiraikotsu slung over her shoulder, ready to fight. They both emerged from the hut with Shippo and Kirara, joining Inuyasha and Kagome outside.

"We should probably wait until the morning, when the sun is still high on the sky." Miroku reasoned and before Inuyasha could protest he walked inside to ask Syrus if they could stay here the rest of the night considering the moon was already on the black sky surrounded by twinkling stars.

Inuyasha wasn't happy to say the least but had agreed likewise muttering insults about weak humans.

After the dinner they went to their separate rooms, Kagome, Sango, Shippo and Kirara shared one and Inuyasha and Miroku another.

Kagome tried her best to stay awake. Truth to be told, she didn't want to fall asleep. She was too terrified by the constant nightmares that plagued her dreams every night. She pushed herself to her feet and glanced towards Sango, hoping she hadn't awakened the demon slayer. Sango had fallen asleep a little while ago along with Kirara and Shippo. She looked down at the little kitsune sleeping soundly by her side and sent him a warm smile before tucking the blanket tighter around him. She soundlessly slipped out the door, walking outside in the deserted street. It was peaceful in an eerie way. Even though the stars were the same back in Kaede's village it was something special about them here. She stopped when she came to the place where there had been a slaughter only hours ago. A silent tear left her eye as she thought about the little girl lying on the cold ground, reaching for her little doll, not knowing that soon she would be gone from this world forever. She was so caught up in her own thought that she didn't hear the light footsteps coming up behind her.

"Kagome, you shouldn't be out here by yourself." He said gently for not to scare her.

It didn't work. Kagome swirled around frightened. "Inuyasha you scared me!" She breathed.

"Feh, what are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep." She answered simply, looking straight forward, eyes set on the huge forest.

"You shouldn't be out here…" Inuyasha saw her gaze and stopped mid-sentence. "You scared for tomorrow?"

She shook her head slowly, "No, I only want this slaughtering to stop Inuyasha. I can't even imagine the fright they must live in every day. It must be terrifying."

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said gently, taking her slender hand in his, seeing how it vanished in his big one. "I promise to keep you safe and kill this demon."

"Inuy-Inuyasha… Thank you." She whispered as she leaned closer to him. He took his arm around her waist protectively with a small blush coloring his face.

They stood there out in the open street for a little while until a small yawn escaped Kagome's lips and Inuyasha ordered her to bed. She sent the huge forest a final look before following Inuyasha indoors.

She lay down beside Shippo under the blanket, waiting for sleep to take her into another nightmare. She knew she couldn't go on like this, not sleeping. Not only would she held the others up, she would certainly be sick. She sighed quietly and watched the moonlight find its way into the little room. At first it was kind of relaxing to see the silver light play along the walls but it wasn't long before the moonlight began creating foreign shadows along the walls and she clamped her eyes shut to drown them out in the darkness of sleep.

_Kagome slowly opened her eyes. Her brown eyes widen as she took in the scenery. She was in the woods again. A dark forest filled with nothing but silence. She quickly pushed herself up on two feet, feeling the leaves under her bare feet. She could not see the sky only the thick black branches belonging to the enormous trees surrounding her at all directions. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as well as her own rapid breathing. She forced her legs to carry her along the invisible path. It was so dark she couldn't see an inch in front of her and so she stretched her arms out so she could feel if anything was blocking her path. _

_She continued on for what seemed like hours, the light never came, only blackness. Kagome wanted no more than to get out of this dark labyrinth. She pushed her legs further along the path. Suddenly her breath caught in her throat as something grabbed her outstretched arms. She tried to pull her arms back to no use, the grip only tightened. She screamed, but to no avail. She struggled as hard as she could against the invisible hands that kept holding her arms in a death grip. Another scream escaped her sore throat as she was being dragged through the thick, frightening forest. She fought as hard as her strength would allow her but the iron grip didn't budge. _

_There was an opening in the forest a few meters away. A ray of light found its way through the thick branches but something was not right. Before she managed to react she was lying on the ground, leaves flying around her from the hard impact she made with the cold forest floor. _

_Something was above her; she could feel the warm breath on her throat. It pressed on her chest, making it hard to breath. She tried to move her arms but couldn't. She managed to move her head so her eyesight was angle so she could see her right arm. She gasped as she saw the chains of roots pinning her wrists to the ground. She angled her head so she saw that her legs were in the same state as her arms, both ankles pinned with root chains. _

_Cold, clammy hands touched her face gliding their way down her throat, taking a firm hold and squeezing lightly before tightening their hold as more hands touched her legs, her stomach. She wanted to cry but couldn't. Paralyzed with fear, she couldn't move. She tried to breath but the hands around her throat made it impossible. She tried to open her mouth but no sound left her lips. _

_Finally tears fell from her shut eyes._

"_INUYAHSA!" She screamed mentally, not finding her own voice. _

_More tears left her eyes as the grip tightened, stopping all oxygen from reaching her lungs. _

_Blackness… Blackness… No light just a whole black world of fright and sorrow. No sound except a low laughter echoing through the emptiness._

Kagome bolted upright covered in sweat. She could hear her heart beating painfully against her ribcage. She grabbed her throat with both hands, feeling no cold hands she breathed out in relief. She brushed her wet bangs out of her frightened brown eyes before carefully pushing herself up on trembling legs.

She pushed the door opened and quietly slipped outside where the sun was not yet up but a line of light was visible on the horizon. She took a deep breath of fresh air before walking back into the room they were in yesterday. She was surprised to see Syrus up but didn't let it show as she asked him if she could take a bath. He showed her the way to the hot spring behind his house and left her.

Kagome took off her clothes and wrapped the soft white town around her slender body. She slowly stepped into the warm water, letting it wash away all the sweat that drenched her body. She sat down so the water covered her all the way up to her face. _This feels so good! No nightmare no darkness. _She shuddered at the memory of the terrible nightmare only hours ago. _It felt so real. Like I was actually there, lying pinned down._ She brought her legs up to her chest and hugged them close to her, resting her head on her knees. _Why am I having these terrible dreams? It's like they are trying to tell me something, warn me about something. There has to be an explanation to why they are haunting me, frightening me to death. It's so real I can't tell if they are dreams or reality…_

She was brought out of her thoughts by Sango as she entered the hot spring, greeting her good morning. Kagome smiled at the demon slayer as Sango took a seat beside her. "So, are you ready to go into that creepy forest?" She asked her only girlfriend in the Feudal Era except Kaede who was more like a grandmother to her.

"Oh yeah, I can't forgive this demon for taking so many lives, it is unforgivable!"

"You're right Sango. We have seen so many suffering humans but this…this is just too overwhelming to even believe." She looked at the older girl, seeing the demon slayer nod instead of trusting her voice made Kagome feel a bit better. Clearly she wasn't the only one finding it hard to believe that someone could be so cruel, so evil, just like Naraku! She didn't voice her thoughts out loud but just by looking at Sango she could tell she was thinking the exact same thing.

"I think we should be getting ready to leave, the boys will be up any minute." Sango said kindly as she rose from the warm water followed by Kagome.

After dressing they sat down by the burning fire, waiting for the boys to wake up. Inuyasha was the first to walk in followed by a half asleep Miroku. They ate in silence and by the time the morning sun was rising, painting the sky pink and purple they were ready to start a new dangerous journey. Shippo was playing with Kirara and some of the village children when they walked out of the lord's hut. They bid him farewell and when they were passing Shippo Inuyasha grabbed him by the tail, making him scream for Kagome. It took a sit command to finally get Inuyasha to let go of the little kitsune and by the time they were at the entrance to the darkened forest, Inuyasha was muttering words of insults and Shippo was gladly licking a candy with a bump on his head.

"Do you think Naraku's the one behind this Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he loosened the prayer beads on his left hand.

Inuyasha shook his head, "No, I don't think so, remember what the old man said, this has been happening the last sixty years and as I'm aware Naraku's started fifty years ago."

"Yeah, you're right, but that leaves the question, who's behind this cycle of slaughtering?"

"I say we will find out soon enough." Sango shut in as she took the first step into the dark forest known as the forest of the living dead, followed by a transformed Kirara. Miroku sent Kagome a questionary look before continue after Sango into the black wall.

Inuyasha was leading the way through the thick forest, his senses on high alert. He had a firm grip on Tetsusaiga, ready to draw the mighty sword at any signs of danger.

The seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours, they walked without stop.

Kagome sighed, stepping over a root as she followed Inuyasha deeper into the forest. Sango and Miroku walked behind her, listening to Shippo as he tried to teach them a new game he had learned from the children in the village.

"Pervert!" Sango screamed as she slapped Miroku across the face and moved as far away from him as possible.

Kagome shook her head at the pair walking a few meters behind her. It never failed to amuse her._ He just won't give up! Well I guess he wouldn't be Miroku if he actually did stop._ It took her a moment to realize that it was getting dark pretty fast in this eerie forest, probably because of the tall trees that overshadowed them and hindered the sunrays from shinning through the tick branches. This would probably cut their traveling time down considerably. Which would in turn really tick off Inuyasha if they had to stop early.

She sighed inwardly at the thought of having to live with a constant angry Inuyasha but shook the thought out of her head and continued on behind the half demon. She was glad to have Inuyasha in front and Sango and Miroku behind her as they walked deeper into the forest of the living dead. She shuddered at the thought.

It was utterly quite except their footsteps, even breathing and Shippo's constant talking. No animals could be heard, not even a single bird and combined with the sudden darkened surroundings made her breath speed up and goose bumps rose on her skin. Kagome sped up in order to catch up to Inuyasha who seemed unaffected by the diminishing light.

By the end of another hour it was completely dark. Kagome couldn't see a thing, neither could Sango and Miroku. Unfortunately, only Kirara, Shippo, and Inuyasha managed to see in this darkness thanks to the demon blood flowing through their veins, making it another good hour before they would stop.

She strained her eyes to see some sort of dying light in the depths of the emptiness but all she could hear were the footsteps of those around her. Echoing her own steps in the darkness. She reached around, putting her hands out just enough so that she might be able to feel something if it came within a foot of her. She froze for a second as a memory played in her mind. She could feel her heartbeat speed up. She tried to move her legs but they wouldn't listen. "_This is just like my nightmare!"_ A voice called in her mind. She stumbled forward, glad to finally have control over her legs again. Her arms were still stretched out in front of her and her heart skipped a beat and the little color in her face was drained when her hand brushed against another person's skin. It calmed her somewhat that it was not cold or clammy. A blush colored her face when she saw that it was Inuyasha's hand she had touched. She opened her mouth to apologize when he grabbed her hand in his own and curled his fingers around hers. She let out a relief filled breath and her heartbeat calmed down, she felt safe again. Nothing could happen now. She smiled warmly at Inuyasha, sending him a mental thank you. She knew he saw her smile because he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Let's stop here for the night." He said and sighs of thankfulness could be heard from everyone. "Shippo, go get some wood so we can start a fire." Inuyasha ordered.

"You think that it's safe for him to go out in this forest by himself?" Kagome asked quietly.

"He'll be fine, no one would want to eat him anyway." Inuyasha said, half snorting.

"Inuyasha! Did you send him out there with-" Inuyasha cut her off before she could finish.

"It's not like I would miss him."

"Inuyasha sit boy!" Kagome yelled before walking over to Miroku who was starting the fire with the sticks Shippo had collected.

Inuyasha grumbled as he stood up, brushing away the dirt on his haori. "There, now get ready to go to bed." Inuyasha stated as he jumped onto the nearest branch. Sango was sleeping against a giant Kirara and Miroku sat back against another tree across the trail and Shippo was nestling in under the same sleeping bag as Kagome was in.

By the time the fire was lightening up their surroundings and warming their cold bodies everyone was so exhausted that they fell fast asleep, everyone except Kagome. She didn't want to fall asleep, not now anyway. She knew the nightmares would keep coming if she shut her eyes.

She shivered under the cover of her sleeping bag. She could feel the sudden drop in the temperature and nestled closer to the little kitsune for warmth. She could feel her body trembling and she kept getting colder and colder. Not only was she trembling so hard it was a wonder Shippo did not awake, but her teeth were shattering as well. Knowing that Inuyasha was sure to hear her she quietly slipped out of the sleeping bag and made her way towards the dying fire for not to wake the sleeping hanyou. She picked up a stick and laid it carefully on the fire before seating herself as close to the warming light. She sat there and saw as the flares gripped the defenseless stick in a deadly grip before consuming it entirely, waking to life once more. She held her hands forward so the bright fire could warm her freezing fingers.

She kept the fire alive as long as she could but the wood that Shippo had collected slowly came to a stop. She let her fingers wander over the hard ground searching for something to fuel the fire but came up empty handed. She drew her legs up to her chest and hugged them tightly, still trembling.

Inuyasha stirred in his sleep, something wasn't right, he could feel it. His ears twitched once, twice, the sound of teeth shattering and fire burning woke him up. He could feel the temperature had fallen drastically in only a few hours and slowly opened his amber eyes. He looked down at his sleeping companions. Seeing that Kagome was not in her sleeping bag, he jumped down, gracefully landing on the ground. He walked silently over to the shivering girl sitting by the fire.

Mixed emotions found its place into his heart as he saw Kagome desperately trying to get some warmth into her freezing body. _Why didn't she wake me?_

He came up behind her; the only sound of his approach was a twig that snapped under the pressure of his body. Kagome turned around, looking exhausted.

"Sorry." She whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha sat down beside her soundlessly.

"I'm sorry that I woke you up Inuyasha."

Her voice was so feeble, he had a hard time believing it was actually Kagome's voice. The normal Kagome would never sound so weak. "You have nothing to be sorry for Kagome." He reassured her, he couldn't stand to see her like this.

Kagome looked up at him surprised but before she could say anything Inuyasha had taken of his Fire Rat coat and placed it on her shoulders. She snuggled tighter into the warm fabric. It felt so good. She looked up at Inuyasha again, a tired smile playing on her lips.

"Thank you Inuyasha."

"Feh, you should get some rest. You are just a human remember, and besides you can't go on without sleep like me you know." He was prepared for Kagome to begin yelling like she always did when he insulted her like that but not this time. He looked surprised at her. Kagome was gripping the Fire Rat tightly to her slender form, trembling.

Out of pure instinct Inuyasha placed his arm around her waist and pulled her into an embrace. He ignored the puzzled look on her face as he did so. He could feel her cold hands through his cloths and held her tighter to his chest.

A gentle gust of cold air blew and Kagome shivered. She nestled even closer to Inuyasha's warmth. A blush began to spread over his cheeks. If she awoke now she would surely sit him long into next week. He shuddered at the thought. But it didn't matter right now. The only thing that did matter was getting the warmth back into her body before she got sick.

He could sense she was tired. He saw that she tried her best to keep her eyes open but it wasn't working. He placed the Fire Rat fabric closer to the freezing girl, as well as placing her on his lap so he could keep her warm. He saw her eyelids close and whispered gently not sure if she heard it or not, "Just sleep Kagome, I'll keep you safe from whatever haunting your dreams, I promise."

Kagome tried to keep her eyes open but to no avail. They kept getting heavier and in the end they slid closed. The only thing she heard before she was dragged into unconsciousness was Inuyasha's husky voice promising to keep her safe. And she couldn't feel safer. She knew that this time, that this night would be free from nightmares. She nestled closer to Inuyasha and fell asleep with a smile on her face as well as a blush.

The morning sunrays warmed his face as he slowly began to wake up. He opened his amber eyes and looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms. She had been so cold last night. Inuyasha shifted lightly and rose to the ground with Kagome in his arms. She stirred in his arms but nestled closer to him. Inuyasha let out a breath of relief. If he thought that he would feel the sit commands yesterday he could only imagine the pain his back would suffer if she woke up now. He quietly walked over to the sleeping bag and gently put Kagome's sleeping body under it. Shippo was still sleeping soundly and snuggled closer to the new warm source. He jumped up onto the branch and lay down, waiting for his companions to wake up.

Kagome stirred in her sleep and slowly opened her brown eyes, taking in her surroundings. She sat up confused. Why was she in her sleeping bag?_ Was last night just a dream? No it was real I'm sure of it._

She looked up at the branch Inuyasha was currently sleeping at. He jumped down the moment he heard the others movement and conveniently helped them to wake up a little faster.

Sango was the first to make her way over to the fire, and her demeanor was polite, if not a little sleepy. She folded up the thin sheet she slept on, wrapping it in her small pouch she always carried with her. She greeted Inuyasha good morning before eying the sleeping monk carefully.

Miroku chose that time to stiffly sit up in his bedding and yawn, the prayer beads over his right hand rustling quietly as he raised his arms over his head in a stretch.

"Hey, lecher, finally awake?" Inuyasha asked, standing up and observing the waking monk. Miroku made no reply, just grinned at him and stood up, walking over to Sango, who sent him a dangerous glare.

"Not too close, Miroku…" she warned and he lifted his hands up in fake innocence.

"Why Sango! I was not even thinking of those things!" Miroku protested, and picked his staff up from the ground.

Sango eyed him warily, scotching away from him. "Sure you weren't," was all she said, but it was enough to make the monk go over and sit by the fire instead of rubbing her rear.

The morning came and went and before they knew it they were on the road again. Inuyasha was of course walking ahead, complaining about weak humans and the slow pace they were going in. Miroku and Sango as well as Kirara made up the rear and Shippo sat on Kagome's shoulder as she walked in the middle of the group. She had yet to thank Inuyasha for last night. He had behaved strangely but it was nice for a change. She smiled at the memory. Shippo looked at her but Kagome just smiled at him. She looked behind her and suppressed a laugh.

Miroku was conveniently matching his pace with the demon slayer's. His gaze innocently slid to Sango and he angled his direction so that his feet were taking him closer to her with each step. Reaching out, Miroku's hand nonchalantly met Sango's rear.

Sango halted as her face grew hot with embarrassment. "Lecher!" She shrilly screamed, whipping her hand around to collide with Miroku's cheek as a slap echoed through the silent forest.

Inuyasha's ear flicked back towards the now shouting demon slayer behind him and he held back a snicker. _Miroku never gives up, does he?_

Kagome didn't even try to suppress her burst of giggles. _They sure have a weird way of expressing their love for each other…_ She looked up at Inuyasha walking a few feet ahead._ Not like him and me. Wait no! We aren't that involved, we are just friends that's all._ She let her gaze wander back to Miroku and Sango, seeing the red handprint on Miroku's right cheek take form. She shook her head before catching up to Inuyasha. Shippo had jumped down and was now on Miroku's shoulder who brushed his sore cheek.

A quite yawn escaped her lips and it didn't go unnoticed by a certain hanyou. Inuyasha sent the raven haired girl walking beside him some small glances. He knew she was tired even though she tried her best to hide it. He didn't like it one bit. Something was obvious bothering her and the fact that she kept it a secret was eating at him.

The darkness soon engulfed the forest in a black curtain. It was difficult to see even for Inuyasha. He automatically grabbed Kagome's cold hand and led her along the rough path, keeping her close. He didn't like this forest one bit. It was too quite, too dark. He kept his senses on high alert. His right hand was holding a firm grip on the Tetsusaiga, ready to draw the powerful sword at any sign of danger. His ears were twitching in all direction, but picked up nothing. It was deadly quite. The only sound was the footsteps and the even breathing of Miroku and Sango walking a few feet behind him.

After another hour of walking he finally announced that this was their camping site for tonight and once again he ordered Shippo out to find wood. When their camp was set they all sat around the small fire, lightning up their little camp.

Miroku who sat beside Sango conveniently placed his hand on her rear earning a smack to his face.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled angrily, placing herself as far away from his as possible.

"It's not me dear Sango, it's this cursed hand of mine!"

"Of course it is." She said sarcastically.

"There, now get ready to go to bed." Inuyasha stated as he plopped down next to a tree that stood nearby. Tetsusaiga lay on his left shoulder, the weight barely noticeable.

"Are you staying on the ground?" Kagome asked, eyes wide in wonder. _He never sleeps on the ground unless something's wrong or his period is coming up._

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing, it's just seems a little odd that's it." She said as she rolled out her sleeping bag.

"Feh."

They said goodnight to each other and went to sleep. Shippo snuggled into her side as she stretched out in her sleeping bag, closing her eyes.


End file.
